Slideshow
by Gun toten Girly
Summary: -Oneshot- "It was reported today that an assassination attempt was made on Artemis Fowl the Second earlier this morning..." Post TTP. AU


**Slideshow**

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******Authoress Note:** AU. Takes place between TTP and TAC. Written in an attempt to scourer out of the Writer's Block hole I have fallen in. NOT EDITED, as horrifying as it sounds.

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"_I believe we're all in denial_

_About the people we love._"

-David Geffen

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PPTV was first to break the news.

Since then, his face had been everywhere. Magazines, news broadcasts, talk shows, interviews... the _same _person was everywhere. Whether he was frowning, deadpanned, or even occasionally smirking, he never seemed to go away. The same pale skin, the familiar dark eyes, the perfect teeth... He was always perfection, from the beginning. Never unkempt, always in-control. Though his words could be biting and his mannerisms irritating, nobody could admit they had felt intimidated by his presence. They knew they should be. After all, it was him, not his bodyguard, that had discovered The People in the first place. _He _was the real danger.

But he was _tiny_. Unthreatening. Where a frown had been only years before, a mischeivous twinkle resided. This was no longer the serious, scary-looking child that had confronted them. He was, in a loose term, their friend. Allies. They had all noticed the air of happiness that surrounded him. He seemed to have more of a bounce in his step, his mouth more upturned rather than straight. Psychologists had all but attacked him, picking apart his actions like chickens eating corn. Happier, they had all said. Content. His new lifestyle was certainly rubbing off.

His bodyguard was always near. In many ways, The People preferred the giant than the boy. They'd seen him in action. They knew the extents he had gone for them. Muscular, serious, but gentle and caring. The pair never seemed to be absent when it came to anything The People said or did. And when one mentioned 'Holly Short', 'Artemis Fowl' was never far behind, and vice-versa. Both had earned a permanent spot in the history books, and centuries from now their legacy would be told to schoolchildren. Some of their adventures would be turned into stories: moral fables, movies, documentaries, and maybe even the occasional mention in books or conversations.

So it was understandable that, on a cold spring day in March, nobody could turn off their television sets. As the PPTV news-anchorwoman relayed the news to everyone, the citizens of Haven City blinked. Shock was obvious. Disbelief. Then came the horror.

"_It was reported today that an assassination attempt was made on Artemis Fowl the Second earlier this morning..._"

And it was for this reason that Captain Holly Short never ventured outside. The paparazzi were in a frenzy. Everybody wanted to interview her. They were practically knocking down her door when the news came. What was she feeling? How did she feel? Just a picture, they promised. A word. Sentence. Anything to let them know she hadn't disappeared off the face of the planet. Was she aboveground with him? With his family?

"_Unfortunately, it succeeded._"

They never seemed to understand. Grief was a word nobody seemed to understand these days. Apparently there was a set number of days one had to come to terms with death. They expected her to be fine in a few days. Laughing, smiling, joking as if Artemis Fowl never existed. As if he had never changed any of their lives. She grimaced, her mouth twisting gruesomely. They would never understand. They believed this boy was just that: a boy. Nothing more. And while it was true (he was, most certainly, just a child with crazed fantasies), they failed to realize just how much Artemis Fowl had influenced their lives. She sniffed, glaring at the blinking 31 on her answering machine. So many people being nosy. So many people...

She smiled sadly. A few years ago, they wouldn't have even cared if Artemis Fowl had died. In fact, they might have even rejoiced. She was disgusted to know she would have been one of them. Recently, the Irish teenager had been a welcome part in their lives. And while humans had thoroughly frightened and angered The People before, the determination and resilience they had seen with Artemis made them think twice. At the time, she had felt a small trickle of pride for her friend. Now, she couldn't help but feel bitter. Because now Artemis was an idol. Every human would forever be compared to him. He would _never go away_.

"_Young Artemis Fowl died en route to Saint Donovan's Hospital. He was reported to have gone into cardiac arrest before passing-on._"

Holly sniffed, curling herself into a tighter ball. Assassination. She wanted to scream from the normalcy of it all. While not exactly common, assassination attempts were made daily. It seemed so... she tried to find the right word. It seemed like such a simple way to die. Shot in the heart. The only human to ever come into contact with the fairy folk, become their ally, travel in time and space and stop more than a handful of world-domination attempts... was shot in the heart. And for once, it wasn't The People's fault. The Fowl's had plenty of enemies despite their recent legitimacy, and it had been a grudge with an unknown agency that had ended their eldest child's life.

"_The investigation of the culprit is ongoing. The Fowls have issued no statement regarding their loss. Captain Holly Short, Private Investigator Mulch Diggums, Technical Advisor Foaly, and the Demon Warlock Nº1 have not been seen since the incident occurred._"

She lazily glanced over to her television when her name was mentioned. It was ridiculous, really. She hadn't felt this much of a wreck since her parents had passed, and had even managed to pull herself together when Julius had died. Holly watched as a slideshow of her best friend began on the screen. Frowning, she inched closer when pictures she had never seen before were shown_. How had they managed to get a hold of his baby pictures?_ she wondered, a small smile forming when a naked baby in a bathtub came up. One year, two years, three years past in the pictures. The older he got the more closed-off he became. Holly watched, fascinated by his life without The People; seeing her cold-hearted friend happy and carefree, and watching as his smiles became smaller and less genuine before disappearing altogether. The anchorwoman was talking about his life, the list of accomplishments he had acheived in his short fifteen-years.

She noticed the wrinkles immediately.

Only ten-years-old, she noted faintly. The stress-lines that fanned from his eyes and ran parallel to each other on his forehead were almost invisible. It was about this time when his father had disappeared and his mother had dropped into insanity. Compared to the last picture, Artemis looked like an entirely different person. Two years past, his eleven and twelve-year-old photos somehow more depressing.

"_Artemis Fowl's bodyguard, Butler, has seemingly disappeared from the Fowl household._" Holly froze. "_Sightings of the man have been seen in London, Paris, and Rome. His movements are unknown but presumably out on his own investigation._"

Thirteen-year-old Artemis popped on the screen. The change in his facial features were noticeable, as were the sudden appearance of both his parents. Holly half-heartedly watched the slideshow. Butler. She wondered how he was taking the news. Devastated and guilty, no doubt. He was a _bodyguard_. Failing in his duties meant death, and it certainly had. Her gaze unfocused as she imagined her Eurasian friend. A trickle of rage curled her fingers. Perhaps he would need help...?

She was jolted back in reality when a picture of herself joined the others. The photo showed them laughing in the middle of nowhere. Even Artemis had broken out of his shell and joined the mirth. Tears burned her eyes. She vividly remembered that time; a precious moment in her heart. It had been the first (and only) time she had seen him laugh without restraint. Who had taken the picture? More photographs showed, almost all of them candid. Artemis playing with his brothers, a shot of him shaking hands with the Irish Prime Minister, some of him sitting at home, on the job, and a few during their adventures. And finally, clips of the movies made on their adventures. Butler had once told her The People had greatly influenced Artemis. She hadn't believed it at the time. It crushed her to think it took him dying for her to realize it. Holly burried her head in her knees and listened to the broadcast.

"_Artemis Fowl will forever be with The People. May his soul rest in peace._" A large portion of the audience faintly nodded their heads in agreement. "_May we take a moment to honor his courage, bravery, and life._"

It was the least they could do. And it came without saying that, a few decades later, Artemis Fowl by Holly Short sold off the racks.

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**Authoress Note:** Not really sure what to call this. Can't tell if I like it or not. Certainly one of my odder pieces. Just a little something I wrote out of boredom and a bad mixture of sad songs. The ending was a bit rushed, but I wanted to end this depressing little oneshot. Holly is OOC, sorry. Need to reread the series again.

-Gun toten Girly


End file.
